Jobs, Not Waste Act of 2026

This bill seeks to definitively end the long-standing Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository project. It achieves this by repealing specific provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and Public Law 107-200, which had designated Yucca Mountain as the sole site for a high-level radioactive waste repository. Upon enactment, the bill mandates the withdrawal of the construction authorization application and the immediate termination of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's licensing proceeding for the site. Furthermore, the legislation explicitly prohibits the Secretary of Energy from ever considering or reconsidering the Yucca Mountain site for a repository in the future. It also requires the Secretary to undertake all reasonable steps to reclaim the site and mitigate any adverse environmental impacts resulting from past characterization activities. To explore new opportunities, the bill directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to conduct a study within 180 days on the economic viability and job-creating benefits of alternative uses for the Yucca Mountain site, including defense activities, renewable energy development, and scientific research.